Re: Dynamic Variant Record Creation

[Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>]

"Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com> writes:

> GROAAANNN!!!  :-)

;-)

> I'd like to see a solution to this problem, but I don't think this is it. 
> The problem is that the compiler wouldn't know what components to generate, 
> so it would effectively have to generate a giant case statement:
>
> X := (Token => T, others => <>) would become:
>
> case T is
>    when LEX_ID => X := (Token => LEX_ID, String_Id => <>);
>    when '!' => X := (Token => '!');
>    ...
> end case;

Well, this is not hugely different from the case statement that the
compiler has to generate for:

    X : Token_Unit (Token => T);

to default-initialize stuff.

But I agree it's not worth the trouble.

By the way, why do we call the kind/type of token "Token",
and the whole token is "Token_Unit" or some such?  I realize that's
what the compiler textbooks often do, but I'd prefer the enumeration
be called Token_Kind, and the record (containing the kind as well as
the identifier string or whatever) be called something else, like Token.

- Bob